I Didn’t Even Have to Ask (on Customer Service)
Today, as I was shopping at my local Home Depot, they were out of the paint I needed to complete a job (more on that later). It got me thinking about our company policy. We have a nice company policy about helping homeowners even if they want to do the work themselves. To take it one step further, we actually offer the going to the store with you policy. This means that we will help you with your material list, and even go to the store with you to make sure you get the best service and find everything you need.
We have been doing this for the whole ten years we have been in business. Yet we have had few customers take us up on it. We have done this a few times with our clients, including getting them signed up with project cards and introducing them to the best sales people, with whom we have built relationships with over the years. These are sales people who are great at follow-up, and I can rest assured they will take care of anyone we bring to them.
Why do we do this? Well, usually, when we help someone plan a project they want to do themselves, we end up with some kind of work out of it. We also get a great referral and reference from them. What I would like to know is why more people don’t take us up on this? I have the power to make their project easier, and save them time, hassles, and money. And why do we do it, really? Well, we are trying to change the image of today’s remodeling contractor to one of a nice guy, someone who is honest and willing to help. That is the image I want for my company.
So back to Home Depot…. I shop there a lot! My reasons might be a little shady. They are definitely not the busiest home improvement warehouse in my town. I can get in an out with my purchases easily. I also know the manager on an almost personal level, so I basically can take anything back that I want, or ask for a free delivery, and get it if I need to. I can call their commercial sales guy and he will pull any order I give him and have it on my account and outside waiting with about 5 guys to load it. We seem to be one of the top contractors that shop there. We know everyone on a first name basis.
Yesterday, I needed 10 more gallons of their premium plus ultra white paint. They were out. I had enough to do what I needed to do that day, but I mentioned it to the department manager. He said that their next shipment was due Tuesday night–two nights away. The next day, they called me and told me they had brought it from another store for us and it was shaken and ready to be picked up. I didn’t even have to ask. It was a $250 sale, but they went to another store 50 miles away and picked it up for us. I wasn’t even mad when I told them I needed it. That department manager recognized a need from us and took care of it.
Wouldn’t my customers want to take advantage of the level of personal service I receive from my vendors? I feel that I have an amazing relationship with the people we buy from. How do I better market this level of service and respect that we have developed over the years?
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Holly, that kind of customer service is worth its weight in gold. You are very lucky to have a Home Depot that will do that kind of thing for you, and I think it’s great that that kind of thinking is built into your business model. I have a small cadre of contractors & vendors that I work with that make my life easier, because I can count on them to take care of the little things without nickel & diming me, which in turn helps me produce a smooth hassle-free project for my clients. Can you come work in Florida?
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That kind of customer service is just amazing, especially from a big box like Home Depot. I can’t even get that kind of customer service out of the little locally owned hardware store that I’ve fine business with for 17 years. Like you I know all the staff, and even the bookkeeper by their first names, I spend I don’t even know how much money their every year, but even now, during the down turn,i can’t depend on the floor manager to call me back about a special order or some weird product we’re trying to find for a customer.
So yeah, you’re quite lucky, I’d say.
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The people at Home Depot really like us. One time they even invited us to help them in a meeting make their contractor sales team better. They asked us for suggestions about what they could do to help us. We thought of quite a few things they could do. I really like shopping there, but a lot of people in our neck of the woods would rather go to Menards or Lowes.
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Hi Holly: I am not in the design/project/home business, but here are my ideas for getting more people to take you up on your offer:
1. Get a “brag” book started. Customers show their before and after pics and write nice stuff about you. They would specifically mention that personal service aspect.
2. Do a contest. Say that you will randomly award a coffee gift card (or something similar and ubiquitous) to one of your clients who goes with you to the store.
3, Put it out into the community that you’ll lead a free no-strings “Visualize your new home/remodel” class fir all comers. Do a flyer with the date and make it clear that it’s just a free community service so that people can learn more about the whole store/process/experience. Take sign-ups. Maybe do this through your adult ed.I hope these are good ideas.
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I’m hardly an expert on these matters, but it sounds to me like you and your local Home Depot staff are just a perfect combination of folks with the right attitudes and business ethics. I can understand your frustration with not getting quite the same thing going with regard to your clients, but my suspicion is that it may take just a bit more time to find clients receptive to your offers. But they will come. Some of the suggestions presented by the other readers seem like pretty good ideas to help you connect with such clients. Good luck!
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It may be an issue of perceived value. How much will I pay for you to accompany me vs. what I could just accomplish on my own. Many people feel they have more time available than money (usually because they work a 40/hr week job and working harder at that job won’t pay much more). I personally hire contractors only for jobs I really feel like I can’t do myself. And I find that rather than “advice” I generally want major productivity out of the workers. Now, I admit I could be missing out on something great by doing this. Maybe my projects would go better with someone to help. I wonder…
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Holly,
Good piece. Especially from Home Depot.
We offer, and write into our contracts, that the customer is entitled to X amount of hours for them in personal/project related design services.
We never send them out on their own but accompany them to any/all shops in selecting materials, colors, etc.
Because of this personal touch they have been very open about asking us questions that are not project related when they need assistance or just want to bounce an idea around.
Get some of your customers to write about some of your like instances – most folks are looking for this kind of help.
How many times do you hear – I’m not visual – when you are working with customers?
Those folks will step up with the glowing testimonial for you!